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1 LoSawuli wayekhona evumelana lokubulawa kwakhe.
Ukuhlukuluzwa Lokuhlakazeka Kwebandla
Ngalelolanga kwaqalisa isiphithiphithi esibi sokuhlukuluza ibandla eJerusalema, kwathi bonke ngaphandle kwabapostoli bahlakazeka kulolonke iJudiya leSamariya. 2 Abantu abakholwa kuNkulunkulu bamngcwaba uStefane bamlilela kabuhlungu. 3 Kodwa uSawuli waqalisa ukulichitha ibandla. Wahamba engena izindlu ngezindlu ephuthuma abesilisa labesifazane esiyabaphosela entolongweni.
UFiliphu EseSamariya
4 Labo ababehlakazekile balitshumayela ilizwi loba kungaphi abaya khona. 5 UFiliphu wehlela edolobheni elithile eSamariya watshumayela ngoKhristu khonale. 6 Kwathi amaxuku abantu emuzwa uFiliphu njalo ebona izibonakaliso ayezenza bonke bakulalelisisa lokho ayekukhuluma. 7 Omoya ababi baphuma ebantwini abanengi beklabalala njalo abanengi ababome imihlubulo labayizilima basiliswa. 8 Ngakho kwaba lentokozo enkulu kulelodolobho.
USimoni Umenzi Wamasalamusi
9 Okwesikhathi esithile indoda eyayithiwa nguSimoni yayisenza amasalamusi edolobheni lelo yamangalisa bonke abantu baseSamariya. Wayezikhukhumeza ezitshaya umuntu omkhulu, 10 njalo bonke abantu, abaphakemeyo labantukazana bambuthanela bababaza bathi, “Indoda le kuqondile ibizwa ngokuthi ingaMandla amakhulu kaNkulunkulu.” 11 Bamlandela ngoba wayebamangalisile okwesikhathi eside ngamasalamusi akhe. 12 Kodwa kwathi sebekholwe uFiliphu etshumayela izindaba ezinhle zombuso kaNkulunkulu kanye lebizo likaJesu Khristu, babhaphathizwa, abesilisa labesifazane. 13 USimoni laye ngokwakhe wakholwa wabhaphathizwa. Walandela uFiliphu zonke indawo, emangaliswa yizibonakaliso ezinkulu lemimangaliso ayibonayo.
14 Kwathi abapostoli eJerusalema sebezwile ukuthi iSamariya yase ilamukele ilizwi likaNkulunkulu, bathuma uPhethro loJohane kubo. 15 Sebefikile babakhulekela ukuthi bemukele uMoya oNgcwele, 16 ngoba uMoya oNgcwele wawulokhu ungakehleli lakubani kubo; babebhaphathizelwe ebizweni leNkosi uJesu kuphela. 17 Ngakho uPhethro loJohane bababeka izandla, basebewemukela uMoya oNgcwele.
18 Kwathi uSimoni ebona ukuthi uMoya wawuphiwa ngokubekwa izandla ngabapostoli wabahuga ngemali 19 esithi, “Ngiphani lami lawomandla ukuze kuthi wonke lowo engimbeka izandla azuze uMoya oNgcwele.”
20 UPhethro waphendula wathi, “Sengathi imali yakho ingabhubha kanye lawe ngoba ucabanga ukuthi ungasithenga isipho sikaNkulunkulu ngemali! 21 Kawulangxenye loba isabelo kulinkonzo ngoba inhliziyo yakho kayilunganga phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 22 Phenduka kulobububi ukhuleke eNkosini. Mhlawumbe izakuthethelela ngokuba lomcabango onje enhliziyweni yakho. 23 Ngoba ngiyabona ukuthi ugcwalelene ngomona njalo ugqilazwe yisono.”
24 USimoni wasephendula wathi, “Ngikhulekelani eNkosini ukuze ngingehlelwa laloba yikuphi lwalokho okutshiloyo.”
25 Kwathi sebefakazile njalo balitshumayela ilizwi leNkosi, uPhethro loJohane babuyela eJerusalema, bahamba betshumayela ivangeli emizini eminengi yaseSamariya.
UFiliphu LomTopiya
26 Ingilosi yeNkosi yathi kuFiliphu, “Yehlela ezansi emgwaqweni, umgwaqo wenkangala, osuka eJerusalema usiya eGaza.” 27 Ngakho wasesuka, kwathi endleleni leyo wahlangana lomTopiya ongumthenwa, eyisikhulu esiqakathekileyo esasiphethe ingcebo kaKhandaki, indlovukazi yamaTopiya. Indoda le yayikade iye eJerusalema ukuyakhonza, 28 isisendleleni yokubuyela ekhaya ihlezi enqoleni yayo ibala incwadi ka-Isaya umphrofethi. 29 UMoya watshela uFiliphu wathi, “Hamba usondele enqoleni leyana walele eduze kwayo.”
30 UFiliphu wasegijimela kuyo inqola wezwa indoda leyo ibala u-Isaya umphrofethi. UFiliphu wayibuza wathi, “Uyakuzwisisa yini lokho okubalayo?”
31 Yathi, “Ngingakuzwisisa kanjani kungekho muntu ongichazelayo na?” Yasicela uFiliphu ukuthi agade azohlala layo.
32 Indoda engumthenwa yayibala indima yombhalo ethi:
“Waqhutshwa njengemvu isiwa esilaheni,
njengezinyane lemvu elithula zwi phambi komgundi,
kanjalo kazange awuvule umlomo wakhe.
33 Ekugconweni kwakhe wancitshwa ukwahlulelwa okulungileyo.
Ngubani ongakhuluma ngezizukulwane zakhe na?
Ngoba ukuphila kwakhe kwasuswa emhlabeni.”*
34 Indoda engumthenwa yabuza uFiliphu yathi, “Ake ungitshele bakithi, umphrofethi ukhuluma ngobani, yena ngokwakhe kumbe ngomunye umuntu?” 35 UFiliphu wahle waqalisa ngaleyondima yoMbhalo, wayitshela izindaba ezinhle ngoJesu.
36 Bathi belokhu behamba ngomgwaqo bafika lapho okwakulamanzi khona, indoda engumthenwa yathi, “Khangela, nanka amanzi. Kulani ukuthi ngihle ngibhaphathizwe na?” [ 37 UFiliphu wathi, “Nxa ukholwa ngenhliziyo yakho yonke ungabhaphathizwa.” Isikhulu saphendula sathi, “Ngiyakholwa ukuthi uJesu Khristu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”]† 38 Isikhulu sathi inqola kayimiswe. Ngakho bobabili, uFiliphu lendoda engumthenwa baya emanzini uFiliphu wayibhaphathiza. 39 Bathi bephuma emanzini uMoya weNkosi wahle wamthatha uFiliphu, indoda engumthenwa ayabe isambona njalo, kodwa yaqhubeka ngendlela yayo ithokoza. 40 Kodwa uFiliphu wabonakala e-Azotha, walidabula ilizwe etshumayela ivangeli kuyo yonke imizi waze wayafika eKhesariya.
* 8:33 U-Isaya 53.7-8 † 8:37 Livesi ayikho kwamanye amaBhayibhili esiLungu.